"I toured in Japan once, and on the plane I happened to get into first class
and sat next to the Japanese representative to the World Bank. I didn't at
that time know what he did, so he told me what it meant to be the
representative. He was proud of his position. He told me you can move
commodities, that is called trade, but in the future you will be able to
move money and people without considering borders. Move them to where they
are needed. I was disgusted. People being treated as commodities. I wrote a
song based on that conversation I haven't sung it in a while. Thinking
about the movement of trade of trade, jobs and people[then sang Mighty Trucks of Midnight]

This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.